I have a 2005 Camry XLE V6. For a few months now, I have had an inconsistent heavy (doesn’t sound like a sheet metal or loose trim) rattle which appears to come from the left front end or engine compartment. Sounds like a bowling ball bumping up and down when passing over bumps, speed humps, potholes, etc. My mechanic checked everything and couln’t find a specific cause. He said maybe it was related to the front struts, but said he didn’t want to replace anything when he couldn’t verify that as the cause. He says everything else looks tight and safe. This is driving us nuts. Can anyone help? Thanks!
Try a different shop. Also look for upper strut mount wear. They do wear out but are hard to see so they are often overlooked.
Check the hood hinge bolts. Over time the bolts can open up the hole. This happened on my 2000 Blazer, it sounded like the dash was going to fall into my lap everytime I hit a pothole.
The fix for the Blazer was to install tapered (cone) washers on the bolt. A quick fix is to simply tighten the bolts or wedge a piece of cardboard between the hood and the fender.
Ed B.